The most squirmworthy bit is this: "The Church of England is unable by law to marry couples of the same sex". As if the law is a little green man from outer space. But as every reader here knows, that bit of law was inserted at the urgent insistence of the C of E itself. Nobody else asked for it. Ministers would rather not have put it in. As one involved (in a small way and not on behalf of Anglicans) in the discussions I am certain of that.

Posted by Iain McLean at
Thursday, 8 June 2017 at 6:16pm BST

Please don't hide behind 'the law'

Scotland has shown that it can be done. Why did isn't the CofE leading in equality for all. Not to say LOVE.

Posted by Keith Beresford at
Thursday, 8 June 2017 at 6:58pm BST

For those obsessed with the authority of Lambeth Resolutions and their perpetuity, how about this one (Lambeth 1988, Resolution 72):

This Conference:
1. reaffirms its unity in the historical position of respect for diocesan boundaries and the authority of bishops within these boundaries; and in light of the above

2. affirms that it is deemed inappropriate behaviour for any bishop or priest of this Communion to exercise episcopal or pastoral ministry within another diocese without first obtaining the permission and invitation of the ecclesial authority thereof.

Will the ACO make it clear that ACNA and GAFCON are :at odds" with the "majority stance" of Lambeth? Will Foley Beach no longer be welcome at meetings (or "gatherings") of the Primates? Will members of the misbehaving churches or provinces be dumped from representative positions in the life of the Communion?

What a dreadful statement by Fearon-direct from GAFCON headquarters. It's clear that fear trumps justice, hate trumps love, and that there is no effective leadership in the Anglican Communion.

Posted by Adam Armstrong at
Thursday, 8 June 2017 at 8:35pm BST

“However this is a matter on which there is real and profound disagreement in the Church of England.

“We are seeking to find ways forward rooted in scripture and the Christian faith as we have received it and which values everyone, without exception, not as a ‘problem’ or an ‘issue’, but as a person loved and made in the image of God.”

It is not that difficult. Accept that twin integrities can and do exist and facilitate both as the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland have managed to do. It is the only way to value each and every person and ensure mutual flourishing as well as 'radical new inclusivity.'

I will also note that Lambeth 1.10 did not, by its own text, declare itself to be the "position" of "the Anglican Communion" but of "This Conference" — which is to say, the 1998 session of Lambeth. The C of E statement more correctly notes that there is a wide diversity of opinion in the Anglican Communion, and it has, as a whole, no other "position" than that.

Given that this new missionary bishop is being appointed to Europe, my count suggests that this would be an incursion into the territory of seven Provinces.

Posted by Alan T Perry at
Thursday, 8 June 2017 at 11:54pm BST

Quite a lot of daylight between the CofE statement, weak as it is, and the Secretary General's.

Posted by Jeremy at
Friday, 9 June 2017 at 3:49am BST

Clearly the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion is the trojan horse in the Anglican Communion office from GAFCON, doing its bidding, and being its mouthpiece.
So the ABC can remain silent, and just give out platitudes which mean nothing. We love you, but not welcome in our house.

Fr John Emlyn

Posted by Fr John E. Harris-White at
Friday, 9 June 2017 at 8:13am BST

The problem, Alan, is that the ACNA is declaring the consecration of a missionary bishop to be an "initiative of the wider Anglican Communion" — a Communion of which it continues to present itself as a part. (And the Foley Beach invitation didn't help matters...)

This may be hard to believe, but it was a step forward for +Josiah Idowu-Fearon to clearly condemn criminalization of LGBTQI people and to respect national boundaries.

I just want to acknowledge progress where I see it.

Posted by Cynthia at
Friday, 9 June 2017 at 5:58pm BST

"It is important to stress the Communion’s strong opposition to the criminalisation of LGBTIQ+ people."

It is important to lie, because I and my friends are completely relaxed about criminalisation, and will not lift a finger or say a word to criticise governments which do so.

Posted by Interested Observer at
Saturday, 10 June 2017 at 5:25am BST

A great statement by +Chillingworth.

Interested Observer, I think +Josiah is evolving. The dreadful primates meeting last year at least included condemnation of criminalization. Though some of the GAFCON bishops had left by then, they surely received the document.

I'm pretty hot headed about this issue, as perhaps you've observed. But if someone is moving forward on the issue, I want to give them a chance. I challenged him in March of last year when he was in NYC, as did others. The confrontation put him face to face with what had previously been an abstraction. Gays wearing suits and doing the work of human rights and the church was probably not his image of LGBTQI people.

Time will tell... I may be overly optimistic. I just want to see hope.

Posted by Cynthia at
Saturday, 10 June 2017 at 4:36pm BST

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